Traveling-work-support converging-saws apparatus for manufacturing tub staves



March 30, 1954 P. L. BLUM 2,573,585

. TRAvELING-woRK-suPPoRT coNvERGINc-sAws APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUB sTAvEs l0 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1950 .MN @NH /f/ CS S S A25/2@ March 30, 1954 P. L. BLUM 67355 TRAVELING-WORK-SUPPO CONV R ING-SA APPARATUS FOR MANUFA RING B STA Filed May 9, 1950 l0 Sheets-Sheet 2 uw. y

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TRAVELING-WoRK-SUPPORT CONVERGING-SAWS APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUB STAVES Filed May 9, 1950 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIQ, 15.

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Z VS APPARATUS ES l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 F. L. BLUM TRAVELING-WORK-SUPPORT CONVERGING-SA F' OR MANUFACTURING TUB STAV Mmmth 30, i954 Filed May 9, 1950 March 30, 1954 P. a.. BLUM 67955 TRAvELING-woRK-SUPPORT CoNvERGING-sAws APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUB sTAvEs Filed May 9, 1950 l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 lll l l| 'l n l] h v l, n` 97 l# -L n (15 *L* 97 i se 98 7o 20| 20|@ se zoo 96 ,69 es 7s 22 202 204 22 9 es 87 206 52 es l 8' E 203 60 l l 207 56 5s 64 67 I l 5l 2 V47 8 si l 46 79 55 f so 48 5o 5o s 54 54 1V l I 14 49 53 B3 @s l 53 March 30, 1954 P. L. BLUM 255735585 TRAVEL ING -WORK- SUPPORT CONVERGING SAWS APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUB STAVES Filed May 9, 195o l0 Sheets-Sheet '7 raglan March 30., 1954 P. L. BLUM TRAVELING-WORK-SUPPORT CONVERGING-'SAWS APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUB STAVES Filed May 9, 1950 l0 Sheets-Sheet 8 March 30, 1954 P. L, LuM 2,673,585

TRAvELING-woRK-SUPRORT cdNvERGING-sAws APPARATUS FoR MANUFACTURING TUB sTAvEs Filed May 9, 195o l0 Sheets-Sheet 9 March 30, 1954 P. L. BLUM TRAVELINGWORK-SUPPORT CONVERGING-SAWS APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUB STAVES Filed May 9, 1950 1`0 Sheets-sheet 1o Patented Mar. 30, 1954 SUPPORT' CONVERG- ATUS FOR MANUFAC- TRAVELING-WORK- ING-SAWS APPAR TUBING TUB STA VES g Paul L. Blum, Marshfieldfl Wis; Application May 9, 1950,.Seria1rNo.,160,904 5 Claims. (Cl. 147`28')` This invention is directed to the art of making wooden receptacles and pertains particularly to improvements in the manufacture of tubs of tapered form such as are commonly employed in the marketing of butter, lard and other commodities.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide an proved method of producing staves of the correct taper, edge bevel and transverse curvature in an eflicient manner and with greater economy than by the presently practiced methods, together with means for carrying out such method.

In the manufacture of staves for butter tubs and similar receptacles, as at present practiced, the method employed embodies a predetermined procedure of cutting the timber to produce incomplete stave pieces of arcuate cross sectional form and having unbeveled parallel longitudinal edges. After the formation of the piece in this manner, each piece is sawed to the desired taper and bevel, the result being theremoval from each side of the piece of a sliver having av thickness at one end of about one-half inch, which is discarded. Thus from each stave piece there is removed waste material of the length of the piece having a thickness of about one-half inch and a width equal to the thickness of the stave piece. Where in a large tub producing factory the number of staves used in a year runs into the hundreds of thousands and probably millions, the waste material from the formation of the staves in the manner stated is considerable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing the tub staves whereby the sequence of operations is changed from that at present employed so that the staves are initially formed with a proper taper and bevel and the removal of wast-e material from the sides of the pieces is avoided, as a result of which material previously cut oil? and thrown away as waste now goes into the completed stave and wastage' is reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel methodv of manufacturing staves for tapered butter tubs and similar receptacles from material which at the present timeconstitutes wastage from door and window-frame and sash mills, wherein such wastage comprises pieces of wood stock of from fifteen and one-half to sixteen and one-half inches in length and varying in thickness from one inch to one and live thirtyseconds inchesI and width. varying from. two

and ene-half l inches tdiveainches onmorafby; a.

novel process of joining such pieces into apreliminary blank andthen taper sawing such blank on a machine, of novel construction to produce an initially properly beveled and tapered piece from whichtwo nished staves are produced;

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel machine for sawing a blank made up in the manner above stated from a plurality of waste pieces of material, in such a manner as to simultaneously give the proper taper and sidev edge bevel fromwhich twoV completed or finished staves are formed.

Still another objectof the invention is to provide a novel sawing apparatus for forming a tapered beveled piece of the character stated, wherein a novel meansis providedfor automatically gripping the piece of Work and holding it in proper position as the work is advanced to the saws.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a sawing apparatus of the character set forth, a novel gauging means for use in association with a work holder and carrier whereby the piece of material is automatically positioned in the correct manner in the holder and gripped and held automatically asthe, carrier is shifted forwardly towardlthe saws so. that the cut piece of material will have the` proper width at its wide and narrow ends and will be given the correct taper andbevel.

Other objectsand. advantages of the invention will become apparent as. the` description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from arconsideration of the following detailed description taken inrconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of theY specication with the understanding, however, that the invention is not; to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to aperson skilled inthe art.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a flow chart showing the di'erent operating stations in carrying out the herein. described method in the progress of the material from the stagein which it isreceivedto the completed stave.

Figure 2 Vis a plan view .ofthe blank as made up from the diierent pieces of material and showing. how the irst trim piece is-A produced in the making of the initial out of the blank.

Figure 3 is an edgeview of theA blank as illustrated in Figure 2..

Figure 4 is a view illustratingrthemanner of making the rst cut of the blank according to one procedure.

Figure is a view illustrating the manner of making the second cut of the blank according to the alternative procedure which may be followed.

Figure 6 is a view in plan of the blank as received at the former machine with a previously produced trim strip forming a part thereof, the blank further being lined to indicate the cuts for producing the stave pieces.

Figure 7 is an end edge view of the blank as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view in perspective, looking at the inside face, oi a stave piece from which two incomplete sta-ves are formed and showing the arcuate line of cut as followed by the band saw.

Figure 9 is a View looking at the smaller end of the stave piece shown in Figure 8 and illustrating the angle of the beveled longitudinal edges thereof.

Figure 10 shows in an end view, the top incomplete stave pieces as produced from the blank shown in Figure 8.

Figure 11 is View illustrating conventionally convex and concave planers by which the flat iaces of the incomplete stave pieces are planed to a transverse arcuate contour.

Figure l2 (Sheet l) is a view illustrating thel manner of making the rst cut of a blank acccrding to one form of procedure where the blank includes in its make-up the trim strip resulting from the rst cutting of the blank formed as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 13 (Sheet 4) is a view in side elevation of the shaper or stave piece cutting machine.

Figure le is a view in top plan of the Shaper machine.

Figure 15 is a view of front elevation.

Figure 16 is a detail longitudinal section taken centrally of the blank piece supporting carriage showing the jaws of the carriage in closed or Work holding position.

Figure 17 is a view in end elevation of the carriage structure shown in Figure 16 looking at the same from the forward or front end.

Figure 18 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line |8--l8 oi Figure 16.

Figure 19 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line Iii- I9 of Figure 13.

Figure 20 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 20--20 of Figure 13.

Figure 21 is a view in top plan of the saws and adjacent carriage structure showing the initial cutting of a blank from which a trim strip is produced which is later used in the making up of subsequent blanks.

Figure 22 is a view in side elevation of the structure as illustrated in Figure 2l.

Figure 23 (Sheet 8) is a detailed perspective view of the rear jaw of the carriage structure.

Figure 24 is a view in perspective of the blank piece carrying table of the carriage.

Figure 25 is a view in perspective of the rear jaw oi the carriage structure.'

Figure 26 (Sheet 10) is a view in top plan of a conventionally illustrated sawing apparatus by which the stave pieces are cut to proper length.

Figure 27 is a view in top plan of mechanism for holding the stave piece as it is fed to a band saw.

Figure 28 is a view in vertical section of a portion of the blank piece holding machine as set fortuin Figure 27.

the machine as seen in Figure 29 (sheet 4) is a detailed view on an enlarged scale of the movement limiting elements associated with the arms of a set of gauge stops.

In setting forth the present invention the procedure or method followed will first be set iorth with general reference to the various pieces of apparatus employed and reference will, accordingly, first be made to the diagram or flow chart which forms Figure 1 of the illustrations.

As hereinbefore set forth use is made of waste pieces of the material such as may be obtained from any one of numerous window and door frame or sash manufacturing mills, such waste pieces, which are of ponderosa pine, customarily running from iifteen and one-half to sixteen and one-half inches in length and having a width of from two and one-half inches to five inches or more and a thickness of from one inch to one and ve thirty seconds inches.

, It will, of course, be understood that the present method is not restricted to the use of the waste pieces of this particular type since longer pieces of material may be employed by reducing them to the proper lengths but the present method is of particular economic importance to the art in the fact that the usual sources of available long length material are decreasing due to the depletion of forests of the correct type of wood and the present method was accordingly devised with a view to using the material which heretofore had been useless and at the same time reducing the wastage of such material to a minimum.

In carrying out the method, where it is neces sary the pieces of material are reduced to the proper thickness and the pieces are then run through a cut-oli saw machine, diagramatically shown and designated l0 in the chart, where such pieces are given the proper length for the particular size tub to be constructed from the nished staves.

Standard size butter tubs holding sixty iive pounds of butter measure about fourteen and seven eighths inches in diameter inside of the top and about twelve inches inside diameter at the bottom and approximately thirteen and five eighths inches deep. The iinished stave for a tub of this size will be approximately fourteen and fifteen sixteenth inches long. Tubs ci smaller size may, however, be made from staves produced according to the present invention, such smaller tubs being of a capacity to hold five, ten, twenty or thirty pounds of material. Accordingly further reference to specific sizes will not be made, it being understood that the method is applicable to any size desired but it will be apparent that if at the cut-off saw a piece oi material is produced which is of insuicient length to make a vtub of the maximum size, it may be employed for the production of staves for a smaller size receptacle.

After reducing the material to the proper length at the cut-off saw I!! it is carried by conveyor Il to an edge jointer machine l2 where the edges of the material are shaved or planed square and true and run parallel to the grain.

After having the edges squared, the pieces of material are carried by a suitable conveyor i3 to a set-up bench I4 where they are assembled into a blank of approximately square outline and having, where the pieces are designed for use in making the maximum size tub, a length of about fifteen and a quarter inches and a width of about sixteen and one-half inches. This assemblage creeren-es of'pieces afterbeingt'gluedzupiwill.be hereinafter referredA to; asf the; blank.

Thellset'up or: assembled pieces for' therblank are then' transferredto: the: gluefspreader l5 where the edgescfthe. pieces haveglue applied t0 them and the pieces are .replaced in the pren vicusly assembled relation on a blank set up. table I6. This table is of'suicient size to accommodate eight such blanks in-two rows offour each and these two rows of blanks arev moved one behind the other into and through a glue dryer Il of the electronic typewhere the glu-e is set.

Preference is hadfor a gluev dryer of the electronic type becausefof-the rapidity with which' the glue isset Vto full holding strength, such aconditionbeing obtained in approximately nineteen seconds in an apparatus of this character. Such electronic glue setting devices-are of standard construction and wel-l known in the trade and accordingly it is not believed that any detailed illustration or description of the same is required in connection with the setting-forth of the present method.

Following the operation of setting. the glue, the blanks go tothe stave shaper which in the flow chart is diagrammatically shown and designated i8. The specific construction and operation of this shaper will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The blank as now set up ready to be operated upon by the stave Shaper appears approximately as shown in Figures 2 and 3 Where it is generally identified by the reference numeral I9, the individual pieces making up the blank, being designated |90. The glued. up joints between the pieces I`9`a are designated I9b.

The blank upon reaching the stave Shaper is sawed by means of apairof rotating circular saws constructed and. arranged. in anovel manner as hereinafter set forth. to produce stave pieces longitudinally tapered and having side edge or longitudinal edge bevels, from each of which tapered and beveled stave pieces, two staves are subsequently produced as hereinafter set forth.

The circular saws of the stave shaper are mounted at opposite sides of a movable carriage guide to rotate on axes which converge upwardly across the top of the carriage path andthe blank is fed to the saws while being held at an inclination so that the higher end of theblank is engaged rst by the higher parts of the. saws and the lower part ofthe blank passes'between the convergent or toed inlower portions ofthe saws thereby cutting the stave piece on a taper and with its longitudinal edges beveled. The construction and operation ofthe sawing. mechanism will be hereinafter described in more detail. In accordance with the presentA method, when the initially formed blank .is rst fedV to the saws there will bei produced one, two stavethick piece 20 having the proper bevel and. taper, and a trim piece 2 l.

In Figure 4 the angular disposition of the saws, designated 22, is' shown together with the trim piece 2l andthe rst'of the taperedstave pieces 2U. This View is takenY looking at the low onback edge of the blank and toward thehigh. edge, 'As will be readily seen in the making of thlsflrst cut on the blank, the left handsaw 22 will form or leave the right hand edge of the portion of the blank remaining after removing the piece 20, cut to theV correct bevel or. tapensuch tapered edgebeing designatedar. v l

It,` will.lbereadily.l seen. byfreference-.t'o:Figuren 'andiazlso totigureeezthatfthetceemofztheasaws due to the angle of the axis-.of-rotationzonthe. supportingl mandrils; therefor, .produces the correct edge bevel at each'sidezofithe blankppiece and. also the; leadin-'g or.` advancing" edge' of thefblank, Verr-- gagingfthesaws atza Yhigher point or elevation thanthe rearxendfor trailing :'edgefofthe blank, producesf the correctlongitudinal taper. for the blank piece 20".v

The trim piecezMy whichiis` produced from the initially.` formed lblanks ,1tl1at isthecblanks formed originallyfromzthe straightV pieces I 9a, is not discarded ori wasted. When" a number of blanks have f been cutf. irr the; manner; thus lfarV described softhataniequalinumber ofthese trim pieces are produced, such'trimrpieces are' sent back to the tablef I'Gffwhere. the eight blanksaresetuup as previously described. Here these trim pieces are ed'gesglued tol thesquares and, asv/ill be readily seen, the blanks thereafter coming. from the electronic edge gluerito the stave V shaper will have one edge correctly edge beveled and tapered. Such albl'ank is' showninplan in Figure Bandin edge elevation' in Figure 7. In' these figures the properly beveled. and: tapered. edge Iface ofv the applied trim piece is designated b.

Consideration will now be. given to using blanks set'up'as shown inFigures Band '7, having the trim piece 2| from va preceding blank forming a part-'thereof and edge-:glued tooneside as indicated at :2 la, Whereby'suchfblank, here generally designated I9'c goesto the. stave shaper with one edge properly beveled and tapered. Two ways may now be employedifor cutting the stave pieces from the blanks` ls'eby means of the inclined saws andbyffeedingthe.blank to the saws in the manner previously setforth.

The rst `of'these twoways of cutting the blank would be to feed the blank. tc-the saws, after properly setting` the blank in position, with the advancing edge higher than the trailing edge as before stated, sothat the already formed beveled and tapered edgeb will .move across the inclined facesofthe right handsaw and the left hand saw willcut longitudinally through the blank. In this procedureA the'righthand saw performs no work and a single stave piece 2l! is produced. The remaining.. blank piece from which the single stave piece has been cut, is then turned upside down en'd for end and again fed forwardly to be operated' upon bythesingle left hand saw, the right hand saw again following the right hand incline'd or beveled edge face of the work. In other words each time one stave piece is sawed from the blanks, the blank is reversed or turned over end for end as statedbefore the next stave piece is cut: olf, inorder to obtainthe correct bevel and taper;

The second way of cutting the blank, which maybe employed isto'set'the blank over farther tothe right' with respect to` the saws, suitable guide stops beingv employed for both of these procedures, as hereinafter set forth, so that both saws now functionand two stave pieces are produced' or cut from the blank at atime, as illustrated in FigureV 5l. With` thismanner of proceeding itwillalso be apparent that the need for reversingY or turningA the. blank is. avoided, the blank merely being run through again in the same manner so as to cut two more stave pieces therefrom.

Thestave. piece 2D;produc ed in either of the two.wayaabcvsetinrth, .jssshow-n in perspective pleted or finished staves are eventually produced as hereinafter set forth.

After cutting from each blank as many stave pieces as possible, or four pieces, a remaining strip is obtained which corresponds to the original trim strip and which may be sent back to the blank assembly or set up table to be added to the blanks in the same manner as the trim strip 2|, this last named or remaining strip being desighated 23. Thus it will be seen that the pieces cut from the blanks in the formation of the stave pieces, namely the trim piece 2l and the remaining or tail piece 23, are not wasted but go into the making of additional blanks and give to such additional blanks an already beveled and properly tapered edge form which becomes one longitudinal side or edge of a subsequently produced stave piece.

It will be noted that in carrying out the method to the point described, after the individual pieces I9a have been cut to the proper length there is nothing removed from the blank which is discarded or wasted, except the sawdust, and the stave pieces 20 while properly tapered and beveled, have their inner and outer faces flat and parallel.

From the stave Shaper, the stave pieces 2G, each of which is of a thickness to have two staves produced from it, proceed to what is termed the equalizer, which is designated 24, where the staves are fed horizontally edgewise to a pair of spaced parallel saws which cut the stave piece to the proper length.

From the equalizer the properly lengthened stave pieces move to band saw machines 25 where the stave is fed or moved in an arcuate path to the vertical band saw, while being maintained vertically on its end. The stave piece is thus cut or divided longitudinally into two pieces, along an arcuate path from one longitudinal edge to the other, such cut line or line of division being shown in Figure 9 and designated 26. rThere are thus produced two pieces of the form shown in .Figure l0, designated 20a and 25D. As shown the piece 22a has one side face transversely convex as indicated at 20c while the other piece has one side face transversely concave as indicated at 26d. Each of these pieces 20a and 2Gb constitutes an incomplete stave.

Completion of the staves is eifected by feeding the pieces through suitable planers, the planer station being designated 2l in the flow chart and representing the last stage of the method. At the planer 2l there is provided a convex planer unit El) which gives the convex transverse curvature to the previously flat side of the incompleted stave Zlib and a concave planer which gives a transversely concave face to the previously at side of the incomplete stave 20a.

The two planer units 28 and 29 may form a part of a single machine by having the units mounted upon a single shaft 30 which operates in conjunction with a parallel shaft 3| which carries convex and concave feed rollers 28a and 29a respectively.

The pla-ners are here more or less conventionally shown and it will be understood that any suitable supporting means may be provided for the rotary shafts 3E! and 3l and also suitable means for rotating these shafts at the desired speed.

Stowe Shaper or sawing machine Figures 13 to 22 illustrate the novel sawing mechanism by which the two stave pieces 20 are cut from the blank .andgiven the proper taper and bevel. In this connection, where the stave piece is formed for the production of staves designed to be used in a tub of the larger size the piece is given approximately a one and a half degree taper on each side from end to end and an edge angle of 15 front to back as indicated in Figures 8 and 9.

The stave shaper comprises a base structure which is generally designated and which has a horizontal frame 4| and supporting legs 42 at the corners of the top which, as shown, is of rectangular form and may be constructed of suitable angle or channel iron material.

Disposed upon the top of the base frame 4|, to extend longitudinally thereof, is an inverted channel beam 43, of suitable width which provides a supporting top for the machine base or table.

Mounted upon the beam 43 in spaced relation longitudinally thereof are the two upstanding brackets 44 each of which is formed to provide a horizontally disposed sleeve 45 and above this sleeve the vertically disposed post 46 which is provided with an upwardly opening slot 4l.

The sleeves 45 are in alignment longitudinally of the channel beam 43 and extending through these sleeves is the solid xed shaft 48 which at the front of the machine extends a substantial distance beyond the beam 43 as shown in Figure 13.

Upon the rear end of the channel beam 43 is mounted an electric motor 49 having the two ends of its armature shaft extending outwardly beyond the two sides thereof to receive V-belt pulleys 50.

The numeral 5i designates a xed guide and support for a slide unit which is generally designated 52. This guide 5l is in the form of a T- beam and has the central web Ela (Figure 18) vertically disposed and secured in the slots 41 of the two posts 46, with the top or head portion 5Ib of the T-beam horizontally disposed as shown in Figure 13 to provide the necessary wide single guide track for the slide unit 52.

At each side of the frame 4I there is securely mounted upon a suitable upright 53, an upwardly and inwardly extending arm 54 which carries a saw arbor frame 55. This arbor frame includes in its structure the two spaced, axially aligned bearings 55 which support the saw arbor 5l. See Figure 15. Each of these arbors carries the V-bclt pulley 58 which is in driving connection by means of V-belts 59 with the motor shaft carried pulley upon the same side of the machine.

As shown in Figure 15 the arbors 5T have their axes upwardly convergent toward the center of the machine and intersecting in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the center of the support 5I. The inner ends of these arbors, however, terminate short of this central plane and each carries upon such end the circular saw 22 hereinbefore referred to. While these saws 22 are in downwardly convergent planes the bottom edges of the saws are spaced quite far apart while the top parts of the saws are, of course, a considerably greater distance apart.

It will also be readily apparent that the spacing of the saws is such as to permit the guide 5I to be disposed therebetween and below the saw centers.

the plate 8u at an inclinationv to the horizontal top of the guide the high end of the plate being directed toward the back of the machine and constituting the advancing end of the plate in the operation of moving the blank Vto the saws.

Means is provided for gripping and holding the stave blank in position upon the carriage plate E53, which is constructed as follows. Y

At the low end of the plate or front end thereof, is secured the upwardly and rearwardly directed arm 64 on which is pivotally mounted a yoke 85 (Figure 25) which is substantially in the form of an inverted U-shaped member, the side legs of which are drawn in together and connected by a pivot pin 66. The'end of the bracket 8d is positioned within the yoke above the pin (i5 and is pivotally secured to the side members by the transverse pivot pin El. The top ofthe yoke has secured thereto the rearwardly directed dat plate 58 which constitutes a clamping jaw, being adapted to assume a horizontal position above the plate to over a blank placed onthe plate. See Figure i6. This jaw plate carries a downwardly directed spur 59 which engages in the top of the blank when the jaw is in operative position.

Secured to the top of the yoke S5 and extending upwardly therefrom, is a handle la which is grasped by the operator of the machine to oscillate the yoke to raise andlower the jaw 68.

at the back or rear end of the slide unit, the block 6| carries the rearwardly projecting arm 'i i This arm is disposed between the lower ends of vertically arranged side portions of an inverted substantially U-shapecl yoke 'L'.` (Figure 23) to which it is pivotally connected by the horizontal, transversely directed pivotV pin Y 13V.

Above the pin '|3 the yoke has supported be` tween its sides the second pivot pin 74 and this pin pivotally couples inthe yoke the rear endv of a link member 15 which extends forwardly to and has its other end pivotally mounted upon the pin 66. See Figures 16 and 187.

Upon the top of the yoke" 12 is a forwardly and downwardly inclined jaw' member T6 which overlies the rear high end of V the' plate iii]`V and is adapted to engage the' topof the blank 20`when'r the latter is placed in position4` on the slide unit' plate.

The plate 59 carries'at'its forward end, uponthe tcp thereof, the upstanding blank' positioning' flange l1. This flange serves to'assist'theoperator of the machine in the'placing'of the'bla'nk'ir proper position on the slide plate".

It will be seen from the' foregoing" that when the lever l0 is swung forwardly away' from the plate the jaw 68 will be elevated and the" link '|5 will be shifted to oscill'atev the yoke '|2'v and correspondingly elevate the rear jaw'TS. This permits the blank 28 to be conveniently placed in positionA and when the lever 'IllV is then' pushedfback' for the purpose of slidingftheunit rearw" rdly to move' the blank against thesaws, the jeaws'l'' and' I6n will be lowered into clamping" p'osi'tfizn-v onth'e blank. The harder the'ope'rator pushesv on the lever 19 the more/firmly the" jaws will be 4forced into gripping engagement with the'blank'andat the same time the spur 69 will be' thrust intdtheY top of the blank, thus holding it against shiftingV on the carriage. e y y .l

Figure 22 shows the Vhold down" jaws 68 and' `|6` clamping the'stave blank tov the ing plate 68, and Figures 23 to 25 showfthesehold down jaws in detail together'with the' carriage plate.Y

carl'iagsupport? -10 In order to properly position the stave blank in the carriage,l suitable stops are provided at the right hand side of the carriage, as follows.

The two stopsnof one pair aredesignated 78. See Figures l19,; 20 and 21. These gauge stops comprise thewtwo arms 'Hl eachof which has a collar upon itsLlower end, which is mounted upon the shaft 4,8 and adjustably secured thereto by the s et screw Bilo.V As is clearly shown in Figure 19 each arm '|19 is off-set from or disposed tothe right of the carriage plate 60 and extends vertically to an4 elevation above the plate. The forward varm |9 carries a short rearwardly directed plate 19a vand this plate, and the upper end of the rear arm 19, has threaded horizontally therethrough the adjustable positioning screw 8| which has the proper elevation with respect to theplate 60 to contact the side edge of a blank when the latter is placed on the plate. A rough adjustmentv of these screws 8| relatively to the plate v6|), is effected by the adjustment bolt 82, carried by each, arm 19, which bolt extends in toward and is threaded through the vertical web portion of the support 5|. The head of each bolt 82 bears against the outer side of its arm i9 and upon the inner side of the arm the bolt carries a lock nut 82a. By backing on the lock nut 82a and loosening the set screw 80a, the arms 19 may e rockedl in or out by turning the bolts, after which the nuts 82a and screws 80a may be reset. For ner adjustment of the` screws 8|, the jam nuts Bla may be backed olf from the adjacent arm 19 to permit the turning of the screw 8| and then retightened to secure the setting.

In addition to the gauge stops |8 there is provided a second pair of gauge stops designated 83. See Figure 22. These latter stops are supported for adjustment relative to the carriage plate Eil by the actuation of aA foot lever, hereinafter described.

VThe foot treadle operated gauge stops comprise the two vertical stop bars 84, each of which is pivotally supportedl upon the shaft 48 by a collar 85 upon. its lower end. Each bar 84 is disposed vertically at theright hand side of the plate 56 inthe samemanner asthe arms 19 for the first mentioned gauge stops; and each vertical gauge stop bar 84 carries alaterally extending arm 86, these'arms being brought into'close spaced parallelrelation at theirvfree outer ends as shown in Figure 14; where theyl have disposed across them the pull plate 81v to which is, attached one end of a depending or hanging' pull rod 88. See Figure 15. Y

The top of the stand40 has secured thereto, rearwardly of the rodl 88, the fixed hanging support 89, to the lower end of which is attached by the horizontal pivot 90, an end of a foot lever 9|, the other end of which is turned to provide the treadle 92v which projects forwardly of the machine at the right hand side and the forward end of this lever, adjacent to the treadle 92 is positionedI in a suitable forked guide 93 to prevent lateral movement.

As shown the lower end of the rod 88 is at'- tached to the'lever 9| and' forwardly of the rod 88 the lever has attached thereto one end of a pull spring 94, theother end of which is Vconnected in` a suitable manner as, for example, by the link bar 95, to an adjacent overlyingpart of the frame. See Figure 13.

Asewill be readily apparent the spring 9s conf stantly pulls upwardly upon the treadle or foot lever 9| thus elevating the rod v88 and the plate 8| mounteduponits upper end.

avacsd Attached to the upper part of the frame 40 adjacent to the rod 88, is a standard S, Figure 29, the upper end of which supports a horizontal plate 200 which is disposed across and overlies the free ends of the arms 86. This plate 200 has two tapped holes in which are threaded the vertical screws each of which is held in adjusted position by a jam nut 20|a and each of these screws lies directly above an arm 86 and has upon its lower end a hook 202 to which is attached an end of a pull spring 203. Each of the springs 203 is attached at its lower end to an arm 86 as is clearly shown in Figures 16 and 17 and these springs constantly impose an upward pull upon the arms 86 as will be apparent.

At the upper end of thestandard S there is secured just below the plate 200, a horizontal arm 204 which has a substantial width which is vertically disposed and this arm overlies the free ends of the arms 86 as shown in Figure 1'7. The arm 204 has formed therein two vertical slots 205 through each of which extends a bolt 206.

Disposed vertically across the arm 204 are the two stop fingers 201 and 208 and each of these has a suitable aperture, not shown, to receive a securing bolt 206. Each of the fingers 201- 208 overlies an end of an arm 86 and is engaged at its lower edge by such arm to limit the upward movement of the latter under the pull of a spring 203.

By adjusting the stop members 201-208 vertically, the stopping or gauging point of the inner faces of the arms 86 is determined in order to obtain the correct width of sawed stave piece.

As is clearly shown in Figure 29 the stop 208 has its lower end at a slight elevation above the lower end of the stop 201, the plate 81 engaging only the upper one of the arms 86. This is the normal gauging position of these arms, due to the varying width of stave from one end to the other and the position of the blank on the table or carriage plate 60.

At the rear of the stave shaper machine there is positioned upon the channel beam 43, the upstanding transverse frame 96 and this frame carries the two long forwardly and downwardly inclined supporting arms 91 which at their forward or front ends are attached to and support the long guard members 98, the rear ends of which guard members are secured to the top of the frame 96 as shown in Figures 13 to 15. Each of these horizontal guard members 98 has its forward end disposed above the edge of a saw 22 and functions to protect the operator from injury while at the same time allowing the stave blank to slide rearwardly as it is sawed into the stave pieces.

Stare Shaper operation Having thus described the construction of the stave shaper machine its operation will now be set forth.

It will be noted upon reference to Figures 14 and 15 that the gauge stops 83 are under normal conditions, that is when the foot treadle 92 is not depressed, nearer to the center line of the plate 60 than are the gauge stops 18. If the operator depresses the foot treadle 92 he causes the stops 83 to be shifted outwardly or to the right of the machine, beyond the gauge stops 18.

If the operator is starting with a complete blank made up of original pieces I9 as shown in Figure 2, as the blank comes from the glueing machine, he first depresses the foot treadle 92, to move the stops outwardly, to the right, beyond stave piece.

the gauge stop screws 8|, as they are shown in Figure la, and then places the blank on the satt7 carriage top 60 so that the right hand edge butts against the screws 8| of the gauge stops 18. He then clamps the blank in place by shoving forwardly and downwardly upon the lever 10 thus causing the jaw 68 to swing down upon. the top of the blank and the jaw 16 to swing forwardly and downwardly upon the top of the rearward end of the blank. At the same time the carriage is pushed rearwardly by the operator thus feeding the blank in its inclined position to the edges of the revolving saws 22. When the blank is passed through the saws there will be produced one twostave-thick stave piece 26 as illustrated in Figure 4 which will be properly sawed to the desired bevel and taper, and there will also be produced a trim piece 2| which, in the formation of staves of the maximum size, will be approximately one and one-quarter inches wide at its widest end. The left hand saw 22, seen in Figure 4, thus leaves the remaining part of the original blank, that is, the part left after removing the stave piece 20 and trim piece 2 I, with the edge a cut to the correct bevel and taper.

A particular feature of the present invention in a machine of this character resides in the disposition of the saw mandrels at an angle so that the saws will toe in and produce the correct edge bevel. Also the leading edge of the blank engages the saws at a higher elevation than does the rear end of the blank thereby producing the correct longitudinal taper for the stave piece 20.

As previously set forth the stave piece 20 will have produced from it two complete staves of proper transverse curvature, taper and longitudinal edge bevel for final assembly into a tub or pail. As previously set forth the trim piece 2| which has one edge properly beveled and the other edge straight or square with the top and bottom surfaces, goes back to the blank assembly table and forms the outer side piece of another blank, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 so that when this blank comes to the stave shaper machine it will have one side already cut to the proper taper and bevel. This is another important feature of the present invention in providing for economy in the raw material since initial trim pieces are not discarded but go into the making of subsequent blanks and, because of the fact that such subsequent blanks come to the stave Shaper machine with an edge already cut and beveled, a saving in time is effected in producing the desired stave pieces from such blank.

Considering now the using of blanks having one edge already tapered and beveled correctly as they reach the stave Shaper two procedures may be employed for cutting the blank into the individual stave pieces.

First, the foot treadle is left untouched and the blank is placed in position upon the carriage plate 60 with the beveled edge engaging' against the gauge stops 83. The lever or handle 10 is then thrust forwardly and downwardly so as to grip the blank between the jaws 88 and 16 and the blank is moved rearwardly toward the saws. As will be seen upon reference to Figure 12 the right hand saw 22 will follow the already formed beveled edge at the right side of the blank while the left hand saw will cut through the blank thus producing a single two-stave piece 20. Following the cutting of this single stave piece, the blank is turned over end for end and run through again in the same manner thus producing a second Each time one stave piece is produced the blank is turned over end for end as 13 stated and run through again. 'By this procedure one stave piece at a ltime is cut each time the blank is run through.

In the second procedure thegauge stops 18 are set over farther to the rightfrom theY center line of the carriage plate and the treadle operated stops 63 are also 4set over to the right and held in position by means of the foot treadle. The lateral setting of the stops 83 is such that when the blank is run through with the beveled edge thereof having previously been placed against the stops 83, two stave pieces will be cut from the blank as shown in Figure 5. In following this second procedure the blank is positioned so that the narrower end of the right hand stave piece 20 is directed toward the rearof the machine. After the cut is completed, forming thertwo stave pieces 29, the blank is shifted over to the right without being reversed or turned over as in the first procedure, and the process repeated to again produce two stave pieces. K

After the stave pieces have been produced in the manner stated they are cut to length by a suitable mechanism such as that diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 26 which mechanism, in its preferred form, comprises a table I across which is disposed a shaft IUI carrying two parallel circular saws |02. These saws may be driven in any suitable manner as, for example, by a motor m3 connected with the shaft IDI.

Running lengthwise of the table are endless chains 904 carrying lugs which are properly positioned transversely of the table so that when they are in engagement with the inclined edge of a stave piece, such'piece will be moved into the saws so as to have its ends cut off square.

Following the squaring of the ends of the stave pieces, the pieces are divided along the arcuate line 26 as shown in Figure 9 by means of a spe cial band saw mechanism forming the subject matter of a separate application, Serial No. 160,905, filed May 9, 1950.

Such band saw mechanism broadly comprises an upright cylindrical structure diagrammatically shown and generally designated H0, Figures 27 and 28 having means at its top and bottom for securing a two-stave piece 20 in vertical position whereby, whenthe cylinder is rotated such stave piece will be moved edgewise to a band saw Ill which enters at one beveled edge and cuts an arcuate path through the piece 20 to the opposite beveled edge, the convex side of the arc followed by the saw being toward the wider or outer face of the stave piece. Thus there are produced the two incomplete staves 20a and 20h shown in Figure 10.

The procedure followed after the formation of the two incomplete staves by the operation of the band saw has been previously set forth, namely, the running of the incomplete staves through a planer such as that conventionally illustrated in Figure 11 and which comprises a cutter head carrying convex blades in cooperation with a concave feed roller and a second cutter head on the same shaft as the rst and carrying concave cutter blades which cooperate with a convex feed roller. This final operation cuts away the fiat faces of the two incomplete staves so as to bring the completed staves to transverse arcuate form and to one thickness, in which condition they are then ready to be assembled to form the completed tub or pail.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that there is provided by the present invention a new and novel means of forming tub and pail arrasar staves and anovel fmethod -by :which a @great economy can be effected in the manufacture of such articles by the'use of material which has heretofore been wasted. Also according vto the present method the reclaimed scrap material is assembled and sawed vinra novel manner vwhereby considerable economy is effected through the integration into the set up blanks of initial trim pieces which become a part of thevnished stave piece and the resulting staves produced therefrom.

I claim:

1. sawing apparatus of the character set forth comprising a pair of spaced vertical brackets, a shaft horizontally supported between the same, a post -extending vertically from each bracket above the shaft, an elongate horizontal member secured to the top ends of said posts, a work carriage comprising two blocks slidably supported on said horizontal member and an elongate plate supported at its ends on said blocks and at an upward inclination in the direction of movem-ent of the carriage, a pair of rcircular saws disposed at opposite sides of said horizontal member in advance of one end thereof and in downwardly convergent relation, said saws being spaced for passage of the carriage therebetween, relatively movable clamp means at the forward and rear ends of the carriage plate for securing the ends of a piece of work thereon, a .pair of arms mounted on said shaft at the said lone end of said horizontal member and extending .laterally and upwardly therefrom to an elevation above the carriage plate, a gauge stop member carried upon the upper end of each `arm for adjustment in a direction transversely of the path of movement of the carriage, said stop members being at different elevations for engagement by an edge of a piece of work on the carriage plate when the carriage is in fully retracted position away from the saws.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the mounting for each of said arms on the shaft comprises a collar integral with the arm and encircling the shaft for turning movement thereon whereby the gauge stop carrying ends may be moved relative to the carriage. and means for locking the collar to the shaft.

3. Sawing apparatus of the character set forth comprising a pair of spaced vertical brackets, a shaft horizontally supported between the same, a post -extending vertically from each bracket above the shaft, an elongate horizontal member secured to the top ends of said posts, an elongate work carriage supported on said horizontal member for sliding movement longitudinally thereon, said carriage including a plate disposed at an upward inclination in the direction of movement of the carriage, a pair of circular saws disposed at opposite sides of said horizontal member in advance of one end thereof and in downwardly convergent relation, said saws being spaced for passage of the carriage therebetween, relatively movable clamp means at the forward and rear ends of the carriage plate for securing the ends of a piece of work thereon, a pair of arms mounted in spaced relation on said shaft for turning movement and extending laterally and upwardly therefrom to an elevation above the carriage plate to function as gauge stop members, the upper ends of said arms being at different elevations for engagement by an edge of a piece of work on the carriage plate, a pair of horizontal arms each carried by one of the first arms. said pair of arms extending laterally in convergent relation and terminating in end portions having spaced relation, spring means engaging said end portions and urging turning movement of the rst arms on the shaft toward the carriage, and pedal means connected with the horizontal arms for turning the first arms against the action of said spring means.

4. The invention according to claim 3, with vertically adjustablev stops overlying the said end portions of the horizontal arms for limiting the upward movement of the latter under the action of said spring means whereby to limit the turning movement of the rst arms toward the carriage plate.

5. Sawing apparatus of the character set forth comprising a supporting structure, a long guide member thereon, a work supporting carriage comprising a pair of blocks slidably mounted on the guide member and a long table supported on the blocks, said table being supported with its rear end higher than its forward end, a pair of circular saws, means rotatably supporting the saws in spaced relation and in downwardly converging planes in position relative to said guide member to have said carriage slide therebetween, means for rotating the saws, means at the front and rear -ends of the table for securing thereon a piece of work to be run into the saws, a hand grip carried by the table at the forward end thereof, a pair of Work limit stops disposed at one side of the table and spaced apart in a direction lengthwise of the table. said stops being supported to remain stationary while the table and work thereon are moved toward the saws, the supports for said limit stops being adapted to effect oscillatory movement of the stops in a direction transversely of the path of movement of the table, resilient means normally urging oscillation of the stops toward the table, and foot treadle means operatively coupled with the stops for effecting the oscillation of the same in opposition to said resilient means.

PAUL L. BLUM.

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